The Mary Sue Test
by Elihu
Summary: Me. You. Mary Sue.
1. The Mary Sue Test

_**It's dark in the room and the lights are dim. The sun outside is nearly done setting and it's difficult to see the scattered birdarangs, video game controllers, and occasional books on the floor: the only real light source in the enormous Main Room is in the far corner past the kitchen, past the couches, near the window. It's the pale blue glow of a computer screen that lights up the small corner of the room and leads all attention to the specific spot. On the monitor, a small cursor blinks back and forth, on and off, beside a single sentence:**_

Somehow, you've got an interest in Mary Sues.

_**A light moan escapes the chair in front of the computer as a figure sits down and rests its hands on the keyboard. On the screen, the mouse moves to life and settles on the corner of window; a gentle click scrolls down the screen, revealing the rest of the document in its entirety. The figure sighs and leans back in the chair, then proceeds to read the rest of the document...**_

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Maybe someone left a comment on your story accusing your original character of being one, and you'd like to know what s/he was ranting about.

Maybe you're creating a character for a story and you want to know if you're headed in the right direction.

Maybe you accidentally clicked on the link to this story when you really meant to go into one that had a summary like... "A mysterous girl with cool powers joins teh Titans. but who is she? and what does slade want with her? i suck at summaries! R&R Pairings are: MeRobin BBRae TerraSatan CyNobody cuz he sux0rz! LOL!112 NO FLAMES"

...I don't know, it's none of my business.

But Mary Sues are.

Therefore, the purpose of this test is to give authors an idea of where their character stands on the Scale of Mary Sue. "Mary Sue" is a term that describes a character that possesses attributes that severely hinder his/her development as a literary creation; in other words, "Mary Sue" describes a character that for some reason isn't solid. Though there are numerous categories and subcategories of Mary Sue classifications, this test was designed to primarily detect the presence of Typical Sue and Insert Sue, which are notorious for being – among many things – over-powered, melodramatic, histrionic and generally unrealistic.

In order for this test to work properly, you must be **_absolutely honest_**. There are only two possible answers for each question: yes and no. "Well, that really doesn't apply to my character because s/he..." doesn't count; by making excuses you'll only be lying to yourself and skewing the score to hear what you want to hear. Simply add the points assigned to each question if the answer is "yes" and total your score at the bottom to examine your results. Now...

Teen OCs, go!

—

What's In a Name?

_It is not generally advisable to begin designing a character by thinking up a name, but in any case, it is something that has to be done correctly. The character's name, though easily dismissible, is not something that should be taken lightly. Contrary to popular belief, a character can be successful with a normal name — I mean, how much more normal does it get than Dick/Robin, Vic/Cyborg and Garfield/Beast Boy?_

Does the character's name (first, middle, last, or hero name, nickname, etc) in any way resemble your name (first, middle, last, pen, or screen name, nickname, nick's name, imagined nickname)?

...If so, then stop now.  
...DON'T do it.  
...EVER.  
...For ANY reason.

Is the character's birth name an unusual spelling of a common name? (1)

Is the hero name an English word or a variation thereof that is not normally used as a name? (Yeah, "Destiny" is not normally a name) (1)  
...Does the word have mystical or mysterious leanings? (2)  
...Is the name of the character "Shadow?" (50,000 and Stop it)

Did the character give him/herself a hero name so that s/he "wouldn't forget something?" (2)

Would you ever take the name upon yourself or name a pet the character's name? (2)

Does the character have a foreign name or foreign sounding name (Latin, Greek, French, Gaelic, whatever) without ACTUALLY being foreign (by blood)? (2)  
...Is the name Japanese? (5 and God have mercy on your soul)

Is the character's name a correlation to any other Titan's name? (2)  
...Is it anything followed by the word "fire?" (e.g. Greenfire, Redfire, Moonfire, Buttfire...) (4)  
...Is it ANY type of bird? (e.g. Crow, Sparrow...) (4)

Does the character have a birth name...  
...that s/he doesn't remember? (1)  
...that is somehow tied to his/her destiny? (2)  
...that the other Titans frequently call him/her by? (-1)  
...that is common? ("Common" means you'd have to give a last name to identify him/her in a room full of people like "John" or "Emily" or such) (-2)

Does the character have a name besides a birth or hero name? (1)  
...Is it particularly unusual? (Like a PIN number or something) (1)

Does the title of the story in any way refer to the character? (e.g. A New Titan, The Stranger, The Hot Angsty Blonde That Saved The Titans And Seduced Robin, etc) (4)  
...Does the title of the first chapter contain a description or a pun on the name of the character? (e.g. Rose Petals for a character called Rose) (1)

One more time, if the character's name is the same as your pen name, stop HERE.

—

Let's Get Physical

_Remember all that stuff about beauty only being skin deep and looks not being important? Total crap. Physical appearance just might be one of the most important characteristics of a character: it provides first impressions, constant visual reminders, and a mental image for the reader to carry. If a lot of the questions in this section apply to your character, really think about what that means for him/her._

Is the character physically described with in the first two pages (12 point, single spaced, text document) of the story? (2)  
...In the first paragraph? (2)  
...In the first sentence? (10 and a Bitchslap)

Is the character ever described in the story (by narrator, whoever it may be) as being attractive? (2)  
...Are the words "hot," "sexy," or "badass" ever used? (3)  
...Do any of the Titans ever feel jealous because of the character's beauty? (4)

Would you consider the character attractive (if you were of the corresponding gender)? (1)

Does the character have acne (Not "a pimple the day before the big dance," average pubescent angst acne)? (-2, and props)

Does the character have an unusual eye color? (1)

Does the eye color...  
...require more than one word to describe completely? (Hyphens count) (2)  
...not require more than a word to describe, but more are used anyway? (2)  
...not occur naturally in humans? (1)  
... begin glowing in accordance with (over)use of his/her powers? (Ignore if more than eye color changes, such as Raven or Beast Boy's transformations) (2)  
... ...If so, does it become red? (1)  
... ...Does it become white? (1)  
... ...Does it change colors depending on which power s/he is using? (1 point for each color)

Does the character have unusual hair color? (1)  
...Or more than one streak color? (1)

Does the character have unusual hair length? (Yeah, waist-length is unusual) (2)

Does the character have a noticeable scar or tattoo? (1)  
...Does it have a troubling story behind it? (1)

Is the character blind or mute? (1)  
...Does s/he have any compensation for it? (Mental powers, Daredevil-like abilities, etc.) (1)  
...Does the compensation make the character more powerful than a normal person? (1)

Is the character the same gender as you? (0)  
...If not (I'm not sure I believe you, and -2)

Is the character any part angel, demon, vampire, or other mystical being? (3)

Is the character an inter-special breed? (i.e. a catgirl [OMG so kawaii!], foxdemongirl [kitsune-chan!], cowrabbitmermaidwench [...], etc.) (2)  
...Do others look down upon him/her because of that? (2)  
...Does the character have benefits of both races with reduced consequences of their drawbacks? (2)  
...Does the character have drawbacks but NOT benefits of any of the races? (-1)

Is the character stick-skinny like Beast Boy or Terra but (conveniently) has super strength? (2)

Does the character have...  
...(if male) toned muscles that are described within the story? (2)  
...(if female) "curves" that are described in the story? (2)  
... ...Did you feel tingling nether-sensations while writing the story? (10,000 and Clean yourself up)

Is the character physically underdeveloped - if a girl, in the middle of puberty but regularly confused for a guy; if a boy, lacking real muscle definition? (-3)

Does the character wear a skirt, long boots, or a tube top into battle regularly? (Yeah, I know Starfire does) (2)

Does the character wear a lot of black or leather? (3)

Does the character resemble you physically? (2)

Does the character resemble what you would like to look like? (2)

—

Before and After, Past and Personality

_Here it is: the real substance of a character. A character's personality defines who s/he is and how s/he interacts with the world around him/her. Typically, this is where Mary Sue attributes begin showing through and originality reigns as king; because in the end, who a character was is not nearly as interesting as who s/he is and will be._

Does the character fit the "prep" or "goth" image? (2)  
...If so, are you a "prep" or a "goth?" (Let's be honest here...) (2)  
...If not, does the character resemble you in personality? (1)

Is the character regularly stoic? (2)

Is the character angsty? (You're only lying to yourself...) (1)

Do all the Titans immediately like the character? (2)  
...Is the character rebellious or irreverent and still beloved (by all except one Titan)? (1)  
...Does s/he make snarky comebacks at the Titans all time, yet the others instantly take a liking to him/her? (2)

Was the character based on a preexisting character during creation? (1)  
...Could the character be consider a fe/male version of another Titan? (2)

Is the character in anyway non-canonly related to any Titan? (1)  
...Is the character a child of a Titan? (1)  
...Is the character a childhood friend of a Titan? (3)

Is the character royalty of any type? (1)  
...Does s/he not know about it at the beginning of the story? (2)  
...Does s/he know about it, but run away because it's boring, strict, or s/he was being forced to marry someone against his/her will? (2)

Does the character make as many jokes as Beast Boy? (1)  
...In your opinion, are they better than his? (1)

Does the character have any undesirable personality flaws? Flaws that one would not sanely desire like selfish greed, crippling apathy, narcissism at the consequence of others' safety, dire pessimism, unsympathetic and unreasonable phobias, etc. (Extreme naivety does not count, neither does gullibility or stubbornness) (-3)

Does the character never do anything wrong, or have a strong justification for it if s/he does? (2)  
...On the other side, does the character consistently mess up and receive forgiveness easily? (2)

Does the character suffer persistent guilt for something in his/her past? (1)  
...Is that past somehow connected to the present crisis? (2)  
...Is it a "new enemy that is terrorizing the Titans, but how is the new stranger connected to him?" (1)  
...Does somebody eventually convince him/her it's not his/her fault? (2)

The Past: Add points if an event occurred in the character's life.  
...Parents died at an early age (1)  
...Born/forced into slavery or thieving (2)  
...Lived in extreme poverty (1)  
...Only survivor of disaster (1)  
...Victim of domestic abuse (2)  
...Sexually abused (3)  
...Raped (4)  
...Exiled or outcast (2)  
...Born illegitimately (2)  
...Suffered from temporary or permanent amnesia (1)

Does the character have a good singing voice? (2, Also stop and ask yourself what that really has to do with the plot. I mean, really...?)

Does the character play an instrument very well? (1)  
...Does it come up in the first or second chapter? (1)  
...Is it a guitar? (3)  
...Do you play that instrument? (1)  
...If not, do you wish you could? (1)

—

With Great Power, Comes Great Unbelievability

_This is very hard to be objective about. Inside every author is the desire for his or her character to be the coolest, baddest, most mind-numbingly awesome fighter ever to roam the streets, and that is exactly where the problem lies. Every author wants that. When granting powers to a character, one must exert self-control in its fullest extent to avoid the disastrous route to Mary Sue._

Is the character ever described as being a "genius?" (1)

Does the character have the ability of...  
...telepathy? (If unusual among his/her race) (2)  
...empathy? (10)  
...shapeshifting? (2)  
...superspeed? (Not like quick flight or reflexes, but like Flash speed) (1)  
...invincibility or immortality? (3)  
...flight without wings? (If unusual among his/her race) (1)

Does the character ever discover powers s/he never knew s/he had? (1)

Does the character use a sharp or piercing weapon? (3)  
...That doesn't pierce? (Pul-eez)  
...That is used for mass beheadings and badass vigilantism? (1)

Is the character the last living user of a form of magic or martial arts? (2)  
...Does the master who taught him/her die before or during the story? (2)

Does the character have a pet animal or spirit? (1)  
...Is the pet not a traditionally domesticated animal? (1)  
...Does it somehow contribute to his/her fighting skills? (2)

Does the character have a devastating "finishing" move (if you ever feel like Shang Tsung should tell him/her when to do it... it's a finishing move) that could easily take a crowd of bad guys? (2)

Does the character have a move that is triggered or is marked by uncontrollable anger? (1)

Does the character call his/her attacks? (_"Falcon Puuuuuuuuuuunchh"-style_) (1)

Does the character ever do something by his/herself that the Titans could never accomplish or accomplished only when together? (i.e. Defeat Slade, catch Red X, release Trigon's hold on Raven, etc) (4)

—

Much Ado About Raven

_Raven is, without a doubt, the most abused character in Titan fanfiction. She is forced to think in simplistic out-of-character ways, utter painfully emo lines, and do things (and people) she would NEVER do in canon episodes. Therefore, as a gesture of peace, a small section has been dedicated to her in hopes of starting the healing process._

Does the character need to meditate every morning to control his/her powers? (3)  
...If s/he _doesn't_ have to meditate for powers, does s/he do it anyway? (2)

Does the character ever meditate with Raven? (4)  
...Do they form some sort of emotional connection (no matter how small and insignificant) because of it? (2)

Does the character chant or repeat anything to activate or strengthen his/her powers? (2)

Does the character ever fall in love with Raven? (3)  
...If so, is Raven your favorite Titan? (1)  
...Is it love at first sight for the character? (1)  
...Does the character act overly gruff/courteous in an obvious middle-school-flirting manner? (1)  
...Is it love at first sight for Raven? (2)  
... ... Or does Raven immediately reject him/her, but gradually open up and love him/her back? (2)  
...If Raven reciprocates the feeling, is the character a girl? (4)

Does Raven ever "feel like she can really open up with him/her," even though she (and the reader) has no idea why or even acts aggressively towards the character? (2)

Do the character and Raven ever engage in any sexual activity? (1)  
...Is it Teen Titans cosplay sex? (-What?)

Does the character release Raven from her "emotional baggage?" (1)  
...Through True Love or something of the like? (2)  
...Through marijuana? (-420)

Does anything like the following lines appear in the story? (4)  
..."Hey, we just had (luridly raunchy/romantically passionate) sex, and you didn't lose control of your powers. What's going on?"  
..."I guess it's because I could only be freed from my curse by True Love..."  
...Silence.  
..."Wanna $#! again?"  
..."Golly gee, do I ever!"

Is Raven ever jealous of the character's relationship with someone else? (2)

Subtract 2 points if the character is male and Raven never expresses romantic interest in him.

Does Raven ever find a new emotion in her mirror as a direct or indirect result of the character's actions? (2)  
...Is it named Love or Lust? (5 and Gag yourself)  
...Is it named Anti-Semitism? (-1,000,000 and_ Send me a link_!)

—

There's Supposed to be a Plot?

_Sigh.__ Yes, yes, there is. In most cases, this part either seduces an author into the realm of Mary Sue or provides him/her with an opportunity to redeem his/herself with originality and skilled writing. Unfortunately, the only thing easier than becoming a Mary Sue here is remembering to breathe._

Does the character join the Titans upon their first meeting? (1)  
...Is the meeting in the first chapter? (2)

Does the story start with the character running away from something/someone? (4)  
...Is it Slade? (2)

Does Slade ever express interest in making the character into the third apprentice? (2)  
...Does he succeed? (2)  
...Do the Titans eventually turn the character back to a life a virtue? (2)

Does the character ever befriend a villain and eventually reform him/her? (2)  
...Does the villain return to his life of crime, but retain a small vestibule of virtue because of their encounter? (3)

Is the character involved in a apocalyptic, you're-destined-to-destroy-humanity-now-stop-being-such-a-pansy-and-just-do-it-already storyline? (4)

Add 1.5 points for each major character (Titan or villain) that expresses romantic interest (even if repressed) in the character. (Round down after totaling)  
Add 1 point for each minor character (Titan or villain) that expresses romantic interest (even if repressed) in the character.  
...Do any of the people like the character against his/her sexual orientation? (The orientation that has been hinted at in the show or comics) (3)  
...Do they ever get in a fight over the character? (2)

THE CLASSIC: Does the character ever single-handedly save the lives of all the Titans? (2)  
...Does s/he become hurt or gravely ill in the process? (2)  
...Does s/he die? (3)  
...If so, does s/he come back to life? (3)  
... ...Through the power of love? (4)  
... ...In a later fic? (1)  
...Does a Titan profess his/her love during the death or funeral of the character? (2)

Does the character ever deny his/her love for a Titan in order for that person to find his/her true love? (2)

Does the fic end with a wedding or a passionate goodbye between the character and another Titan? (3)

Do you plan to ever write a fic about the character's children or ancestors? (2)

—

Final Questions

Does the idea of someone calling your character a Mary Sue make you angry? (3)  
...Do you feel like it's a personal insult? (It's not, get over it)

Has this test made you verbally protest to the computer monitor? (3)  
...Are you planning to flame? (3 and Grow up)

—

Evaluation

00-05 ... Not Good. This just as bad as a full-blown Mary Sue. Also, you're probably lying, but whatever...

06-15 ... Comfortable. This is the ideal place to be: the character has enough to intrigue the reader, but not so much that s/he runs on the foul fuel of mystery.

16-25 ... Teetering. At this point, the decision must be subject to individual appraisal. It's very easy to fall into a Mary Sue if you are not on guard for your dark side.

30+ ... ... Definite. It's next to impossible to land here and truly be Sue-free. Try going back and easing up on some of the "coolness" of the character: does she really need to be Robin's little sister or Raven's cousin?

45+ ... ... Scrap it. Trust me: start over.

—

Before I begin getting a flood of reviews like "OMGz you hoe! My charcter Krystalfire got a 37 and shes NOT A MARY SUE! My story (i never told You i Loved You) has 86 reviews and all them say shes awsome. Your just jealous because she's so much better than your stupid..." I would like to say only three things...

**One**, don't take this personal. Just because you get a high score, doesn't mean I hate you. Just because you get a low score, doesn't mean I like you. This is a partially-subjective score and nothing else.

**Two**, this test does not guarantee Mary Sue-ness. There is no such thing a test that can detect a Mary Sue without fail; each case must be extensively reviewed by the author and multiple third parties. Just because a character scores high on the test does not _automatically_ make him/her a Mary Sue; the author's reliance on gimmicks and unusual features does that job (and quite well, too).

**Three**, feel free to post whatever you want in the comments. Share your character's score, ask questions to others, suggest questions for the test, or whatever your heart desires. This test was written for all authors to benefit from; do what you will to improve your character and help others in their development.

**NOTE:** This test (and really, all others like it) is based on Dr. Merlin's Mary Sue Litmus Test. Search for it on Google and check it out, it's applicable to most fandoms.

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_**The chair sits motionlessly in front of the computer as its occupant idly left it after finishing its business; all is still in the room and the only activity is the faint sounds of snoring from far places in the tower. On the computer screen, the mouse is stopped in the middle of the screen and the scrollbar sits at the bottom. **_

_**The cursor blinks back and forth, on and off, on the text document as the Night continues on its usual business...**_

_**On.**_

_**Off.**_


	2. The Mary Sue Hunting Guide

_**Stray beams of light sneak in through the large window, settling on an assortment of casually laid objects around the enormous room that were rearranged during the night. A black leather office chair spins sluggishly and retains the contour of the body that was sitting in it only moments before. On screen, a document stands complete, hundreds of black letters on a bright white background beginning with a single phrase:**_

The hard part is over.

_**Light from the rising sun begins creeping into the room more rapidly as a figure settles back into the chair with a cup in its hand. Before long, the text is scrolling down, and the document is revealed in its entirety...**_

Recognizing and reworking Mary Sues in one's own story to make him/her a better character is really as hard as it gets; the most amusing part, however, is learning to recognize them in other stories; so this document is devoted to just that: the organization and generalization of Mary Sues across the fandom by providing sufficient information to allow them to be accurately identified using their inherently shared characteristics. Again, it should be repeated that the following are ideal descriptions: very rarely will a single character fit all the characteristics of a type of Mary Sue; in fact, most will pick and chose from the table to compose a quilted character of numerous annoying qualities.

Thus, without further ado… No Sue for You.

OCs Go!

—

Family History

There are two parental genes to each flavor of Sue, two branches in the family tree that lead to each individual: the mother gene is given by Typical Sue, the whore of every stereotype and label that ever walked among the pages of fiction; the father gene is donated by Insert Sue, the busybody father who comes home late every night, reeking of the perfume of millions of fanfics from thousands of fandoms worldwide. Their illegitimate children are many, and their limits are few, but – as of now – they have nowhere to hide.

―

Victim Sue

or

_Sucks to be_ Sue

The circumstances are always out of her control; that is the single defining characteristic of Victim Sue. Physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse get piled onto her for inexplicable reasons, and the number of friends and family she has seen die cannot be counted on two hands. This Sue is often an orphan or witnessed the massacre of her family/village, possibly moments before being enslaved by an evil race that held her as a slave. (Some of you may note that this sounds strangely similar to Starfire's personal history; while this is absolutely true, you must ask yourself, how much does she pity herself because of what happened? Does she ever talk about it in a way that suggests that she resigned to the situations around her?) Pity is the key to Victim Sue, as the Titans usually take her in because they feel sorry for her, despite the fact that she can defend herself with her own powers. Along the same lines, Victim Sue is occasionally tricked into becoming Slade's apprentice and then redeemed by the Titans when she is converted to "good," but not before suffering horribly at his hands. It's not hard to understand why anyone would make this kind of Sue: it's easy to pretend that nothing is one's fault, and it's even easier to pretend that one _is_ the sad, beloved OC.

**NOTE:** Victim Sue is closely related to ApocaSue, the tragically whiny, I-Was-Born-to-Destroy-Humanity-So I'm Going-to-Moan-Instead-of-Doing-Something-About-It type character Raven _almost_ became in the animated "The End" story arc (needless to say, The Terror of Trigon was handled in a way that avoided the problem).

―

Goth Sue

or

_the empty darkness of my hollow soul bleeds like a scarlet_ Sue

Dark, misunderstood by all, and both emotionally vacant _and_ vocal, most original characters will at some point skim across into this category; whether the character begins the story wearing his black leather trenchcoat or abruptly becomes very moody, it's a place many authors visit frequently, sometimes to attach some association with guilt over a tragic past or reveal a "dark" side to the character. Many of the more "serious" moments in stories occur while the OC is in this mode because of the commonly held perception that characters are inherently wiser when depressed. It's appeal is obvious: chicks who disastrously try to mask their emotional instability are hot, ask ANY guy who's ever been in a relationship...

**NOTE:** This is not to say that serious moments or generally unecstatic characters are necessarily Mary Sues, but rather that they become so when it is their sole gimmick in the fic.

―

Quest Sue

or

_The Journey Starts with a Single_ Sue

Out of all Mary Sues, this one usually ends up being described on the first page, frequently in the first paragraph. The character (more typically a 'he') shows up on page one, in the middle of a long cross-country journey and does one of two things: either makes a temporary stop with the Titans on a trip to find/destroy/avenge someone or something, or he has the Titans' hometown as the final destination from the start. Often the guy will have a personal vendetta against Slade because he "destroyed his village" or "killed his master." As the fates of the character and the Titans' become increasingly intertwined, he grows to confide in the Titans (Raven) and, in return, teaches them all (Raven) a lesson in a specific life matter (love). This type of character likes to carry things around: mementos, deadly weapons, scars, NECKLACES, or ancient books, anything that could remotely link them to their quest and ultimate goal of retribution or discovery.

**NOTE:** Obviously, every character needs a purpose to live, but you can see the true nature of Quest Sue near the end of the fic, whenever the character finishes his quest by killing Slade, or finding the ancient _object_, or avenging _someone_; suddenly, the author will realize that is no reason for the character to continue existing, so s/he pitches together a standard "happily ever after" ending (nearly always with Raven), a tortuously dramatic death sequence for the OC, or a farewell scene where s/he journeys off to further pursue... whatever it is that motivates his flat life.

―

Self Sue

or

_Jenny an her 2 Hawt Freinds_ Sue

This is probably the most confusing (to the reader) of all Mary Sues; there are two types – Vicarious and Literal – and both lack the logical foundation of a well-balanced character.

Vicarious Self Sue is the original character created to represent the idealized version of the author. This one has every article of clothing on his/her body described in painful detail and comes loaded with redundant powers; the backstory is not usually as tragic as Goth Sue, but can usually be blended quite easily. This character will never make a bad decision, never do an evil action without being coerced, or ever make a foolish choice; s/he is most easily picked out when authors riddle the story with "A/N"s describing how much alike s/he is to the original character, usually with some sort of questionable pride. "She had a long black hair (A/N kinda like mine) and listened to Cliché band here (A/N dats my fAvOrItE band eva!1eleven)."

The second type is Literal Self Sue; this is the instance when authors – without any fake characters or even pseudonyms – insert themselves into the story. These typically contain story summaries like "wat happns when me n my 2 frinds get teleprot to the titans tower? fun, Crazyness, Love, insanty, drama, and more" and contain extremely weak and clichéd plot devices for having a handful of friends getting taken through a television set into the cartoon. I don't honestly believe that there is a need to be detailed on what exactly is wrong with this type of character/fanfiction, besides the fact that most of the stories written this way are illegible, dry, and filled to the high brim with pointless inside jokes that nobody actually understands.

**NOTE:** Fourteen out of fifteen psychologists agree that this type of Sue represents a latent desire in inexperienced authors (usually struggling with their angsty adolescence) to fix the flaws they find in their own lives (i.e. Be tough when the author would normally be afraid, say smart comebacks that the author would never say in public, **do** people that don't exist in the real world...)

―

Matchmaker Sue

or

_One Plus One Equals _Sue

There are not too many of these roaming around with the Titans, which is good when compared to other, not as fortunate, fandoms. Matchmaker Sues are characters that allow the author to enter the story (usually under the guise of a Self Sue) and then proceed to "hook up" every creature with sexual organs: Starfire, Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, Terra, T-Car, Slade, Jinx, Kid Flash, Silkie... NOBODY is safe from being auctioned and set up and generally sold in eternal Ever After. The Matchmaker Sues regularly possess the incredible gift of knowing the innermost desires of everyone that they see, as well as knowing exactly with whom each person should spend the rest of their lives. When these Sues are present, there is hardly ever any action actually taking place in the story: usually the Titans just chat, stumble, and stutter their ways into happy endings.

―

Dynasty Sue

or

_Son of Sam... err,_ Sue

There's nothing parents like more than talking about their kids; whether they're praising or criticizing them, they can prattle on with ease for hours without any regard to whether or not anyone else actually cares about what they're saying. Authors of the Dynasty Sue so are no different: their characters are children of the Titans or perhaps close relatives of them, and they feel that the fact alone is enough to make them deserve more than their share of the focus for the story. The overwhelming majority of the offspring are usually flight-endowed, half-Tamaranian powerhouses with intense martial art skill and a slender physique OR magically-inclined, quarter-demon gothboxes with a wealth of mystical abilities and powers; in any case, the characters come with heavy baggage and enough issues to pass around to everyone. Sometimes these original characters are combined with the children of other Titans (i.e. More OC's) to create the "next generation" of Teen Titans, with mixed results; other times – when the character is a brother or sister of a Titan (Robin or Raven) – s/he will meet the Titans "by accident," be reunited with his/her long-lost relative, and join the Titans by relative default.

**NOTE:** Progeny are not inherently Sue-related, but a long history of overuse and misuse have beaten the plot almost to the point of uselessness. Writing a character that shares a past with a Titan is quite possibly one of the hardest things to successfully do in terms of original characters; I'm not saying it shouldn't be done, only that it shouldn't be done without extensive forethought and careful planning.

―

Nymph Sue

or

_I Think Therefore I Screw_ Sue

Yeah, you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about; she's the one that seems to serve only one purpose: doing the backseat mambo with whichever Titan the author feels inclined to bag. There is usually little sense to stories with this type of Sue, mainly because the plot is SO wrapped up in forcing the character and the Titan into a deep romantic love that silly little things called motivation and characterization are completely ignored; in fact, you can be guaranteed to have a Titan profess their love to her/him in less than a single week. Besides having the standard beautiful features of Perfect Sue, Nymph (along with Self) Sue has the tendency to have the largest assortment of modern/trendy/hip/sexy clothing ever to be possessed by a single sentient being (the better to seduce a Titan, of course).

**NOTE:** Nymph Sue tends to develop whenever a story becomes overly dramatic and romantic. Again, drama and romance are not implicitly damaging to a story – in fact, many successful stories have romance as their central theme and introduce non-Sue OCs – but when the story rests completely on the drama going on between an OC and a Titan, it becomes counterproductive and pretty boring to the reader.

**NOTE: **Any time a Titan is involved in a sexual situation, it is almost guaranteed that the author him/herself feels a romantic longing towards the character. Yes, there are exceptions, some people can fake the empathy needed to create that kind of relationship, but for the rest of the authors... realize that any Titan getting busy represents a symbol or ideal that means something to the author. Yeah, mention it to anyone else at your own risk...

―

Feminist Sue / Badass Stu

or

_Xena, Warrior _Sue

How delightful this Mary Sue is! S/he comes in to the Tower – sometimes, having just beaten down an enemy with a single finishing move – and promptly lets everyone know that s/he is completely independent through both verbal and behavioral demonstrations. Feminist/Bad Sue will snarl and/or threaten other Titans with bodily harm just to prove point (usually over something as minuscule as "I don't want to talk about my past" or "Don't touch my stuff") and stand up and talk back to Robin when he's talking to him/her, and he's always got something clever and biting to strike back with whenever the spotlight is placed on him/her (always). In a battle, s/he usually employs unconventional and dangerous tactics, and will (at least once) completely disobey an order and end up saving the day. In terms of relationships, the guys always attract Raven despite the fact that any woman in real life would find them to be completely intolerable, and the women always initially reject the male Titan's (mostly Robin's) advances for a small time in order to proved that she really is an independent woman; however, inevitably, EVERY Feminist Sue will – by her own free will – decide to enter a relationship with another Titan.

**NOTE:** The truth is that everyone wants their character to be a great fighter, but the grossly insubordinate and ridiculously hostile demeanor of this Sue goes beyond justification for characterization; no matter how horrible of a childhood, or tough of a training regiment, or brutal of a lifestyle the character has had, an OC that carries a constant aura of strife and discord simply wears out the reader; if the readers were into that kind of stuff, I'm sure they'd be too busy torturing kittens and small infants to read a piece of fanfiction, anyway.

―

Magic Sue

or

_You're a Wizard Mary_ Sue

Oh boy. Considering that the Harry Potter fandom is by far the largest on this website, it's no surprise that the Teen Titan fandom has its share of magically-gifted original characters. The character (like all Mary Sues, really) appears mysteriously under the cover of storm or nighttime and is immediately welcomed into the Tower; s/he _will_ have a dark and apocalyptic backstory that explains how s/he received powers, lost family, and/or was tied into his/her destiny. This Sue _will_ have convenient spells for all sorts of practical necessities – both on the battlefield and in the Tower – and there _will_ be many a time when Magic Sue's incantations will save the day. The true problem with this type of Mary Sue is the fact that her powers are limitless, so long as it can be accomplished with "magic," it is well within a characters abilities to do just about anything conceivable; so they end up doing anything any author ever wished that they could do in real life. Even if they are limited to control of the "elements" (i.e. Earth, wind, fire, and air), they are always in a position to solve all of the Titan's problems.

NOTE: The interactions with the Titans are pretty specific: Cyborg will undoubtedly be ignored by the character and Starfire will only serve to give needless praise to the new guy/girl's accomplishments; Robin and Beast Boy will be used interchangeably as romantic fodder and awed bystanders; and Raven will either be drawn inexplicably to the character, reject him/her completely because of some kind of "magical rivalry," or succumb to an awkward mix of both.

―

Canon Sue

or

_Hiding Right Underneath Your_ Sue

The one you never suspect, the one that slips away time after time unnoticed: Canon Sue. This Sue appears whenever the author takes the conventional characterization of a Titan or villain and transforms him/her into something wholly unrecognizable; it can be something as subtle as changing Beast Boy into a brooding, angst machine to conjuring up a vampiric Robin. They are distinguished by their gimmicks, their new powers or startling new conditions that transform the original personality, but these characters are most easily noticed when their "special features" are ignored and, instead, the attention is placed on their personality and purpose in a story; given enough time, Cannon Sues arise on their own and give themselves away when the Titans get to the point where they don't even slightly resemble their original versions anymore.

NOTE: Many authors and characters operate under the justification of "artistic license" or some kind of freedom of speech shtick when they experiment in the Canon Sue territory. That is fine and dandy, but the issue comes down to a single basic fact that defines everything authors love and hate about Sues:

ANY character – whether original or canon – portrayed with no depth of character and believability will slowly deteriorate.

And _that_, is what makes a Mary Sue.

―

_**Dawn has already broken. The lighter sounds have begun to get louder as activity audibly increases in the distant hallways. In the large room, the light illuminates everything clearly and reflections from distant office buildings can be seen through the large glass panel near the computer. **_

**_The figure at the computer stands from the chair and casually saunters away.  
_**

_**A screen saver takes over the computer screen that displays a small green elf jerking about in erratic mock-dancing motions just as several bodies enter the Main Room. The beginnings of conversation buzz around them.**_

_**Day has arrived.**_


End file.
